Watsonia has been declared the Op Shop nirvana of suburban Melbourne by leading industry magazine the Victorian Op Shopper. While the gong is unlikely to surprise local residents, it promises to increase the profile of Watsonia, and is expected to boost tourism in our local area.
Watsonia has received the title due to its provision of three quality Op Shops within the proximity of about 150 metres, the kind of ratio usually associated with a well-resourced country town. The Victorian Op Shopper said, “It’s rare for a suburb to maintain the welcoming Main Street feel but Watsonia has managed to keep this, in addition to generous spread of stores within very close range of each other. Watsonia’s distance from the inner north also means that the stores aren’t ravaged by bargain hunting hipsters every weekend.”
While local Op Shop volunteer Beryl Thompson was privately chuffed by the honour, she also expressed fears about an influx of the aforementioned bargain hunting hipsters. She said, “I’m just not sure we’re set up for that kind of patronage. The hipsters bring a whole new retail challenge, and while I’m sure we could bump our prices up for them, I kind of like things the way they are.”
The Watsonia Bugle 